Last jack



G. F. RYAN Dec. 16, 1952 LAST JACK 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Filed Dec. l5, 1951 INVENTOR. l

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LAST JACK Dec. 16, 1952 Q F, RYAN Filed D60. 15 1951 Fig. 4

INVENTOR.

BY 6m M, 16W/KM,

Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE LAST JACK Application December 13, 19.51,Seria1 No.-z61 ,522

(.Cl. 1'2f`15) 'I0 Claims.

'This invention comprises a new and improved jack for use in connection with a collapsible last which it is desired to mount in convenient position for the Shoemaker and to present in either collapsed position or locked in fully extended position. 'I'he jack is herein shown as constructed and arranged to mount a collapsible last of the character disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application Ser. No. 195,265, filed November 13, 1950 by `George F. Ryan, but it is in no sense limited in its application to any specific form of last. The last of said application is herein shown as including in its hinge mechanism a rocker member pivoted at an intermediate point and movable in one direction to extend and lock the last, and in the other direction to cause its collapse. The jack of the present invention is well adapted to mount any last having a rocking member of this de scription.

Going lmore into detail, the jack of this invention includes in its construction a last spindle and a pair of operating pins movable in paths located in predetermined relation to the last spindle, together with manually operated means `for raising or lowering the pins to cause the rocking member of the last to move in the desired direction.

As an optional feature the jack ofthis 1invention includes leveroperated means for forcing 'forwardly a shoe which has been positioned on the lastin order to insure that the upper is Asmoothly and properly settled upon the last when the latter is expanded or extended.

These and other features-of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description'of a-preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration. and

shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing a collapsed' last upon the jack,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the last in extended condition,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section at right angles to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showingl a jack of modified construction.

The last comprises a forepart Ill and a heel part II. The heel part as herein shown is equipped with a metal heel seat plate I2 and with a thimble I3 to receive a last spindle. The thimble is shown as hanged and retains a leather facing I4 upon the cone of' the last; The two parts of the last are connected` by hinge mechanism whichv includes a 'cloub'letension link I5 connected to an anchor `pin I 6 in the forepart of the last through the medium of an elongated slot I'I. The rear-end of the tension link I5 is connected through a pivot I8 to a toggle link I9 which is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point to rock about an anchor pin 2G in the heel part ofthe last. At its other end the toggle link I9 isconnected to a second toggle link 2I having at its outer end an upturned ange which slides in the slot. I'I and constitutes an abutment for engaging the anchor pin I5 when the toggle is straightcned. rThe rear end of the tension link adjacent to the pivot I3 is extended to form a contact face 22. It will be apparent that the toggle I9, 2! may be broken by upward pressure upon this contact face as indicated in Fig. 1, whereas the toggle is straightened and the last expanded by upward pressure on the forward end of the toggle link I9 as suggested in Fig. 2. For further details of the construction of the last itself reference may be had to the co-pending application above identified.

The jack 2li is herein shown as mounted? upon a hollow flanged base 25 by which it may be conveniently bolted to a bench or column. It is provided with an upstanding last spindle 2S and with a pair of vertical passages for operating pins' 2lv and 28. These pins' are located at a predetermined distance from' the last spindle 26 such that they engage 'the hinge mechanism at the operating points above described.

In the body of the jack 2liV is provided Aa transverse-passage forl a slide 29 which issubstantially longer than the width of the jack and provided 4with an operating knob jon. each end. The slide 29 is intersected by .thev passages for the operating pins 21 and .28 and is provided. with inclined wedge surfaces 30 and .3I oiiset with respect to each other sol that they register with the operating pins 21 andV 28 .respectively. Accordingly, when the slide 29l is moved to the right into the position shown in Fig. 3, the inclined face 3i) will elevate the operating pin 28 with a wedging motion. When the slide is moved in the other direction, the

yoperating pin 23 is caused to drop by gravity to a rposition in'which it protrudes only a short distance above the last supporting face vof the jack.

The inclined face 3I- of the-slide is offsetlaterall-y' with respecttoy the' face ySil-and 'located' in 3` line with the operating pin 21. It is inclined in the opposite direction to the face 30 and consequently causes the operating pin 2l to rise and fall in alternation with the movement of the pin 28.

An upstanding hand lever 32 is pivoted at its lower end upon a boss projecting from the rear of the jack. It carries a vertically adjustable fork 33 that may be located at any desired height to engage the rear end of the heel of a shoe on the last. By swinging the lever forwardly, the upper of the shoe may be dislodged on the last and conveniently removed.

In dealing with slip lasted shoes, the last is placed on the jack spindle in collapsed position as shown in Fig. 1. The cone of the last is bored to receive the operating pins 2l and 26 and consequently the last is held iirmly against angular displacement upon the last supporting face of the jack. The upper may now be placed upon the last and then the slide 29 pushed in the direction to elevate the operating pin 2l, straightening the toggle links I9, 2i and locking the last in its extended position. Any desired bottoming operations may now be performed upon the lasted shoe. When these have been completed the slide 29 is moved in the opposite direction, whereupon the operating pin 2l descends and the operating pin 28 is elevated to break the toggle and return the last to its collapsed position, thus permitting easy and convenient removal of the lasted shoe.

The jack shown in Fig. 4.- is designed to perform by different mechanism all the steps above described and, in addition, to lock` the last in broken position on the jack in order to facilitate the operation of pulling the upper upon the forepart of the last while the latter is held in the upwardly inclined position most convenient for the operator.

The jack as shown in this figure comprises an upright stand Ml which is secured to a base plate and carries an overhanging head 4l. A base @l2 is secured in position upon the base plate in spaced relation to the head di. In the head are mounted parallel spaced operating pins, viz. a locking pin 43 and an unlocking pin All which correspond to the operating pins 2l and 28 already described. Each of these pins is operated by a separate toggle system, toggle links d5 and 46 being pivotally connected to the locking pin 43 and to the base block t2. A substantially hori- 1zontal link 4'.' is connected at its forward end to the knuckle joint of the toggle links 45 and 45 and at its rear end to a controlling lever d8 pivotally mounted at its lower end upon the base plate. The link il carries an adjustable abutment screw 49 which, by engaging the rear wall of the stand lib, limits the forward movement of the link to the position shown in Fig. 4,

The unlocking pin i4 is connected to a separate toggle system including the links 5@ and El, the link 5G being pivotally connected to the lower end of the pin $4 and the link 5l having a pin and slot connection with the base lock 132. The link 4l' is connected to the knuckle joint of the toggle links Eil-5| in the common axis of the connection with the toggle links [i5-lit, and since the two toggle systems are spaced horizontally one from the other, it will be apparent that they are never straightened at the same time to the same extent. For example, when the control lever 48 is swung rearwardly as seen in Fig. 4, the locking pin will be slightly raised and then immediately lowered while the unlocking pin 44 will be continuously elevated to perform the step of rocking the toggle link i9 in the last in a direction to break the toggle system therein.

In order to lock the last in collapsed condition upon the jack, an expansible spindle is provided which comprises a split sleeve 52 having an outer knurled surface and a central downwardly tapered expander plug 53. This plug is connected to a stem which extends downwardly through the sleeve 52 and is provided adjacent its lower end with a washer 54 between which and the bottom of the head 4| is interposed a strong compression spring 55. When permitted to do so this spring forcibly depresses the expander plug 53 downwardly and so expands the spindle sleeve 52 into gripping engagement with the thimble I3 of the last.

The stemA 58 of the expander carries an adjustable abutment at its lower end which rests at all times upon an arm 5S pivoted upon the stand 40. This arm in turn rests upon another arm 51 fast to the toggle link 5l and having a beveled surface which underlies the arm 5B. It will be noted that the toggle links 46 and 5I are mounted upon opposite sides of the base block 42 and that each of them has a pin and slot connection with the block. The arm 5l is carried by the link 5l but rests at its front corner on the upper surface of the block 42 so that the arm 57 swings in eiiect upon this corner as a fulcrum and, as already stated, is supported by the block 62. Accordingly, as the toggle links 50-5! are straightened and the unlocking pin 44 elevated, the eiiective face of the arm 57 will descend, the arm 56 will swing downwardly, and the spindle sleeve 52 will be expanded thus locking the last in position upon the jack at the same time the unlocking pin 44 performs its function of breaking the toggle of the last hinge. The last may now be moved into its collapsed position as shown in Fig. 1 and is held iirmly upon the jack while the operator pulls the upper upon the forepart and adjusts it by properly locating the back seam.

Having positioned the upper, the controlling lever 48 may be swung forwardly into the initial position shown in Fig. 4 whereupon the toggle links 45-45 will be straightened, the last elongated and the toggle of its hinge brought into the position of Fig. 2. It will be seen that when the link I9 is rocked in a clockwise direction, in this operation the unlocking pin 44 will be forcibly depressed, the slot connection between the lower toggle links 4S and 5l on the one hand and the base block 42 on the other hand permit lost motion to occur in the straightening of the toggles whichprovides for the alternate raising and lowering of the operating pins.

Having thus disclosed the invention and described in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, it is desired to claim as new and to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A jack having a spindle for a last containing a spindle hole and toggle links of which one is mounted to rock about an axis located at a fixed distance from the spindle hole, the jack containing a pair of operating pins movable vertically in paths engaging said toggle link on opposite sides of its axis. Y

2. A jack of the character described in claim 1 having manually operated means for causing movement of the operating pins simultaneously in opposite directions.

3. A jack having an upright last spindle, a. pair of vertically movable operating pins, and a cross slide having oppositely directed inclined surfaces supporting the said operating pins.

4. A jack having a bore in its top for the reception of a last spindle and a pair of parallel vertical passages disposed at a xed distance from said bore, operating pins movable in each passage, and a slide having inclined faces for elevating said pins.

5. A jack having a spindle for a last containing hinge mechanism which includes a rocking link pivoted at an intermediate point, the jack having a last-supporting face and including a projecting f last spindle, a pair of operating pins Inovably mounted in the jack to protrude above its lastsupporting face and enter a last on the spindle, and means for varying the protruding length of the pins above the last-supporting face.

6. A jack having an expansible spindle for a last containing a spindle hole and a hinge including toggle links, the jack containing a pair of operating pins, means for elevating them alternately for making or breaking the toggle links, and means for expanding the spindle when one of said pins is elevated.

7. A jack having an expansible spindle for a last containing a spindle hole and a hinge including a pair of toggle links, the jack containing spaced vertically movable pins for straightening and breaking the toggle links, and means for expanding the spindle when the toggle is broken thereby locking the jack in position on the jack with its forepart raised.

CIR

8. In a jack for supporting a collapsible last, a pair of spaced longitudinally movable operating pins, toggle links for operating each pin, and a link connected to the knuckle joint of the toggles at a common point for straightening them in alternation.

9. In a jack for supporting a collapsible last, a pair of spaced movable operating pins, an expansible last spindle, separate toggle link systems for operating the respective pins, a single lever, and connections to the lever and toggle links and spindle for making and breaking the toggle links and expanding the spindle al1 in a predetermined cycle.

10. In a jack for supporting a collapsible last, a head carrying a spaced pair of operating pins and an expansible last spindle, a xed base, separate toggle link systems connected to the base and to each of the operating pins respectively, springactuated means for expanding the spindle, and a single controlling lever connected at a common point to both toggle link systems and being movable in one direction to oppose the spring-actuated-spring-expansion of said spindle.

BEATRICE Z. RYAN,

Eecutrz'a: of the Will of George F. Ryan, De-

ceased.

No references cited. 

